Trump, the coronavirus, and the COVID-19 pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) rang the bell on what would become the novel coronavirus COVID-19 on Dec. 31, 2019. This timeline reflects what President Donald Trump said in public remarks, interviews, and tweets beginning Jan. 22 and focuses on the WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Trump/coronavirus task force.

  CORONAVIRUS CASES

  COVID-19 PANDEMIC

  U.S. HISTORICAL DATA

TIMELINE

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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PRIMER

   How your body will try to save you from COVID-19

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Dec. 31

WHO China Country Office was informed of pneumonia of unknown cause, detected in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China. According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan seafood market.

  WHO COVID-19 official updates

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Jan. 4
WHO announced it would work across its three levels – country office, regional office, and headquarters – to track the situation and share details as they emerged.
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Jan. 5
WHO published its risk assessment and advice and reported on the status of patients and the public health response by national authorities to the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.
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Jan. 8
The CDC alerted clinicians to be on the look-out for patients with respiratory symptoms and a history of travel to Wuhan, China.
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Jan. 9
  Trump held a campaign rally.
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Jan. 10
WHO’s first reported death of the coronavirus.

Also, developed with reference to other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, WHO issued a tool for countries to check their ability to detect and respond to a novel coronavirus. The information is to help with identifying main gaps, assessing risks and planning for additional investigations, response and control actions.

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Jan. 12
Officials confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus in Thailand. It was not unexpected that cases of the novel coronavirus would emerge outside of China and reinforced why WHO called for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries.
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Jan. 13
Officials confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus in Thailand. It was not unexpected that cases of the novel coronavirus would emerge outside of China and reinforced why WHO called for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries.
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Jan. 14
  Trump held a campaign rally.

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Jan. 18
  Trump played golf.
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Jan. 19
  Trump played golf.
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Jan. 21

The CDC confirmed the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States in the state of Washington. The patient recently returned from Wuhan, China. While originally thought to be spreading from animal-to-person, there are growing indications that limited person-to-person spread was happening. It was unclear how easily the virus was spreading between people.

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Jan. 22-23

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened the Emergency Committee to consider the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, with cases also reported in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore.

  We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” – Trump in a CNBC interview.

On Jan. 23, the United States ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members from the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, where the virus originated.

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Jan. 24

Huang et al., The Lancet: “We have to be aware of the challenge and concerns brought by 2019-nCoV to our community. Every effort should be given to understand and control the disease, and the time to act is now.”

   A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern

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Jan. 25

WHO launched a video explaining the novel coronavirus, covering topics such as why the novel coronavirus is a global threat to human health, and how to effectively engage communities in the response.

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Jan. 28
  Trump held a campaign rally.
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Jan. 29

President Trump announced the formation of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force.

Members:

  • Secretary Alex Azar, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Robert O’Brien, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
  • Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health
  • Deputy Secretary Stephen Biegun, Department of State
  • Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
  • Joel Szabat, Acting Under Secretary for Policy, Department of Transportation
  • Matthew Pottinger, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor
  • Rob Blair, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff
  • Joseph Grogan, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council
  • Christopher Liddell, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination
  • Derek Kan, Executive Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget
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Jan. 30

  Trump held a campaign rally.

The CDC confirmed that the novel coronavirus had spread between two people in the United States, representing the first instance of person-to-person spread with this new virus here.

  We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment – five – and those people are all recuperating successfully. But we’re working very closely with China and other countries, and we think it’s going to have a very good ending for us … that I can assure you.” – Trump in a speech in Michigan.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following a second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened under the International Health Regulations.

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Jan. 31

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for the entire United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to the novel coronavirus.

President Trump issued Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus, effective at 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, pertaining to the People’s Republic of China, and excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

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Feb. 1
  Trump played golf.
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Feb. 2

  Trump played golf.

Initial U.S. travel ban went into effect.

Trump’s order did not fully “close” off the U.S. to China, as he asserted. It temporarily barred entry by foreign nationals who had traveled in China within the previous 14 days, with exceptions for the immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Americans returning from China were allowed back after enhanced screening at select ports of entry and for 14 days afterward. But U.S. scientists say screenings can miss people who don’t yet show symptoms of the novel coronavirus; while symptoms often appear within five or six days of exposure, the incubation period is 14 days.

  Trump’s Travel Restrictions

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Feb. 10

  Trump held a campaign rally.

  Now, the virus that we’re talking about having to do – you know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat – as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April. We’re in great shape though. We have 12 cases – 11 cases, and many of them are in good shape now.” – Trump at the White House.

  Factcheck.org

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Feb. 11

Novel coronavirus formally named COVID-19. Guidelines mandated that the name of the disease could not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or a group of people. It also needed to relate to the disease and be pronounceable. WHO said COVID-19 helped guard against the use of other names that might be inaccurate or stigmatizing.

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Feb. 12

United Nations activated the WHO-led Crisis Management Team. The CMT mechanism brought together WHO, OCHA, IMO, UNICEF, ICAO, WFP, FAO, the World Bank, and several UN Secretariat departments.

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Feb. 14

  There’s a theory that, in April, when it gets warm – historically, that has been able to kill the virus. So we don’t know yet; we’re not sure yet. But that’s around the corner.” – Trump speaking to National Border Patrol Council members.

As the novel coronavirus swept through Hubei province, China, the CDC prepared for its worst-case scenario – a widespread outbreak in the U.S. “We don’t know a lot about this virus,” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said. “This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission.”

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Feb. 15
  Trump played golf.
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Feb. 17

WHO issued guidance on mass gathering and taking care of ill travelers. Based on lessons from H1N1 and Ebola, WHO outlined planning considerations for organizers of mass gatherings, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. It also issued advice on how to detect and take care of ill travelers, who are suspected COVID-19 cases.

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Feb. 18

WHO and countries engaged in massive preparedness activities. WHO shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 21 countries. By the end of this week, 40 countries in Africa and 29 in the Americas were due to have the ability to detect COVID-19.

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Feb. 19

  Trump held a campaign rally.

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Feb. 20

  Trump held a campaign rally.

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Feb. 21

  Trump held a campaign rally.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the window of opportunity to contain the outbreak was “narrowing” and that the international community needed to act quickly, including through financing.

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Feb. 23

  We’re very – very cognizant of everything going on. We have it very much under control in this country.” – Trump speaking to reporters.

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Feb. 24

A team of experts from WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) traveled to Italy; focus on understanding how events developed, learning from the Italian experience and supporting control and prevention efforts by the authorities. To limit further human to human transmission, WHO experts provided support in the areas of clinical management, infection prevention and control, surveillance, and risk communication.

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Feb. 25

WHO-China joint mission shared findings and recommendations. The team of 25 international and Chinese experts traveled to several different provinces, with a small group going to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Among the team’s findings was that the epidemic peaked and plateaued between Jan. 23 and Feb. 2 and has been declining steadily. The team also estimated that the measures taken in China averted a significant number of cases.

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Feb. 26

  So we’re at the low level. As they get better, we take them off the list, so that we’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck.” – Trump at a White House briefing.

  And again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” – Trump at a White House briefing.

  I think every aspect of our society should be prepared. I don’t think it’s going to come to that, especially with the fact that we’re going down, not up. We’re going very substantially down, not up.” – Trump at a news conference, when asked if “U.S. schools should be preparing for a coronavirus spreading.”

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Feb. 27

  It’s going to disappear. One day – it’s like a miracle – it will disappear.” – Trump at a White House meeting with black leaders.

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Feb. 28

  Trump held a campaign rally.

  We’re ordering a lot of supplies. We’re ordering a lot of, uh, elements that frankly we wouldn’t be ordering unless it was something like this. But we’re ordering a lot of different elements of medical.” – Trump talking to reporters on the White House lawn.

Later that day: “This is their new hoax.”

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Feb. 29

  And I’ve gotten to know these professionals. They’re incredible. And everything is under control. I mean, they’re very, very cool. They’ve done it, and they’ve done it well. Everything is really under control.” – Trump in a speech at the CPAC conference outside Washington, D.C.

The CDC and public health officials in the state of Washington reported three hospitalized patients tested presumptive-positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, including one patient who died. This was the first COVID-19 death in the United States.

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March 2

  Trump held a campaign rally.

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March 4

  [W]e have a very small number of people in this country [infected]. We have a big country. The biggest impact we had was when we took the 40-plus people [from a cruise ship]. … We brought them back. We immediately quarantined them. But you add that to the numbers. But if you don’t add that to the numbers, we’re talking about very small numbers in the United States.” – Trump at a White House meeting with airline CEOs.

  Well, I think the 3.4% is really a false number.” – Trump in an interview on FOX News, referring to the percentage of diagnosed COVID-19 patients worldwide who had died, as reported by the WHO.

  If we have thousands of people that get better just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work – some of them go to work, but they get better.” – Trump during an interview on FOX News. At the time, the CDC was urging employers to have workers stay home.

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March 5

Speaking at the COVID-19 media briefing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the COVID-19 epidemic “can be pushed back, but only with a collective coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government.”

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March 6

  I think we’re doing a really good job in this country at keeping it down. We’ve really been very vigilant, and we’ve done a tremendous job at keeping to down. But who would have thought? Look, how long ago is it? Six, seven, eight weeks ago — who would have thought we would even be having the subject?” – Trump talking at the CDC in Atlanta. At the time he made this comment, cases of COVID-19 in the United States had jumped to more than 300.

  Anybody right now, and yesterday, anybody that needs a test gets a test. And the tests are beautiful. They are perfect just like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good.” – Trump talking at the CDC. At the time, the U.S. had only conducted about 2,000 coronavirus tests.

  I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.” – Trump talking at the CDC.

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March 7
  Trump played golf.

WHO marked 100,000 cases of COVID-19.

WHO reminded all countries and communities that the spread of this virus can be significantly slowed or even reversed through robust containment and control activities:

“Every effort to contain the virus and slow the spread saves lives. These efforts give health systems and all of society much needed time to prepare, and researchers more time to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines. Allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any government, as it will harm not only the citizens of that country but affect other countries as well.”

  No, I’m not concerned at all. No, we’ve done a great job with it.” – Trump, when asked by reporters if he was concerned about the arrival of the coronavirus in the Washington, D.C., area.

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March 8
  Trump played golf.
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March 9

FOX Business Network host Trish Regan claimed that the coronavirus pandemic was an “impeachment scam.” Regan alleged that Democrats were singularly blaming President Trump for the virus and that Democrats and left-wingers had a “need to create mass hysteria to encourage a market selloff” and “stop the economy,” all while a large graphic titled “Coronavirus Impeachment Scam” was displayed onscreen. … Trish Regan Primetime was put on hiatus on March 13. … FOX and Regan parted ways on March 27.

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March 10

  And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.” – Trump after meeting with Republican senators.

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March 11

WHO characterizes COVID-19 as a pandemic. WHO DirectorGeneral Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.”

President Trump spoke on his plans to combat COVID-19 in an Oval Office address. At this time, there were more than 1,000 cases of novel coronavirus in the United States and at least 30 people had died after contracting COVID-19.

  In Oval Office address, Trump flubs his own coronavirus policy

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March 13

Europe became the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.

Starting at midnight, the Trump administration began enforcing new travel restrictions on much of Europe, barring most foreign nationals and screening all Americans arriving from countries identified as hot spots for the COVID-19 virus.

The travel restrictions on Europe that President Trump announced were likely to have limited impact on the spread of the coronavirus within the U.S., though domestic containment measures could delay the spread of the disease, experts said. What it didn’t do, according to experts, was help abate the spread of coronavirus in the U.S.

  Fact Check: Trump’s accusations about the Obama administration and swine flu

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March 17

President Trump claimed he believed the coronavirus outbreak was “a pandemic, long before it was called a pandemic.”

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March 19

  If chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine works – or any of the other things that they’re looking at that are not quite as far out – but if they work, your numbers are going to come down very rapidly. So we’ll see what happens. But there’s a real chance that they might – they might work.” – Trump in a briefing.

  Trump says this drug has ‘tremendous promise,’ but Fauci’s not spending money on it

“It’s a war. I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president.” – Trump in a briefing.

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March 23

  You’re talking about tremendous disruption, economically, but you’re talking about massive depression, massive numbers of suicide.” – Trump at daily briefing.

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March 25

WHO reminded people that no pharmaceutical products have yet been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of COVID-19. However, a number of medicines have been suggested as potential investigational therapies, many of which are now being or will soon be studied in clinical trials, including the SOLIDARITY trial co-sponsored by WHO and participating countries.

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March 26

COVID-19 death toll topped 1,000 in the United States.

  I had Biden calling me xenophobic. He called me a racist, because of the fact that he felt it was a racist thing to stop people from China coming in.” – Trump during Sean Hannity’s FOX News primetime show.

Biden has not directly said that the travel restriction was xenophobic. He has used that phrase in reference to Trump and his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The tweets were not specific to the restrictions on people coming from China.

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March 27

After days of desperate pleas from the nation’s governors, President Trump took a round of steps to expand the federal government’s role in helping produce critically needed supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic even as he warned the leaders of hard-hit states not to cross him. “I want them to be appreciative,” Trump said after the White House announced that he would use the Defense Production Act to try to compel General Motors to produce ventilators.

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March 28

COVID-19 death toll topped 2,000 in the United States.

A New Jersey National Guardsman is the first service member to die from the novel coronavirus, the Department of Defense said. The unidentified guardsman had tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized in Pennsylvania on March 21.

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March 29

  I’ve been watching that for the last week on television, Body bags all over, in hallways. I’ve been watching them bring in trailer trucks – freezer trucks, they’re freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are so many of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, Queens, New York. I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.” – Trump as he announced an extention of the nationwide social distancing guidelines to April 30.

  Married for 51 years, they died of COVID-19 six minutes apart

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March 30

COVID-19 death toll topped 3,000 in the United States.

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March 31

COVID-19 death toll topped 4,000 in the United States.

Earlier: U.S. surpassed China and (3,305) and France (3,523) in reported deaths from the coronavirus; trail Italy (12,428) and Spain (8,464).

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April 1

COVID-19 death toll topped 5,000 in the United States.

For the first time, the U.S. had more than 1,000 deaths in less than 24 hours.

(Note: The President does not have the most followers on Facebook. … It may have been an April Fool’s joke.)

  Dr. Fauci given security detail after receiving threats

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April 2

COVID-19 death toll topped 6,000 in the United States.

COVID-19 cases surpassed 1 million worldwide, with 50,000-plus deaths across 180 countries.

  Navy relieves captain who raised alarm about coronavirus outbreak on aircraft carrier

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April 3

COVID-19 death toll topped 7,000 in the United States.

  CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings

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April 4

COVID-19 death toll topped 8,000 in the United States.

There are more than 300,000 recorded cases in the U.S. and 8,300-plus people have died, with 1,224 of those reported on Saturday, the country’s largest single-day death toll. Wyoming is the only state not to have reported a coronavirus death.

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April 5

COVID-19 death toll topped 9,600 in the United States.

  Inside the epic White House fight over hydroxychloroquine

  Hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19: an explainer

  U.S. ‘wasted’ months before preparing for virus pandemic

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April 6

COVID-19 death toll topped 10,900 in the United States.

  From the New York Times: If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment, several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit, including shareholders and senior executives with connections to the president. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.

  Coronavirus and the decline of the conservative sensibility

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April 7

COVID-19 death toll topped 12,800 in the United States.

  NY records 731 new coronavirus deaths in its deadliest day yet

  Navarro memos warning of mass coronavirus death circulated in January

  Trump removes watchdog tapped for $2T virus rescue oversight

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April 8

COVID-19 death toll topped 14,800 in the United States.

The increase of 1,922 deaths became the highest number of reported deaths in a single day.

  As far back as late November, U.S. intelligence officials were warning that a contagion was sweeping through China’s Wuhan region, changing the patterns of life and business and posing a threat to the population, according to four sources briefed on the secret reporting.

  Federal support ends for coronavirus testing sites as pandemic peak nears

  Outcry over racial data grows as virus slams black Americans

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Special Report

  At 1.38pm on 31 December, a Chinese government website announced the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the area surrounding the South China seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, an industrial city of 11 million people.

Over the next 100 days, the virus would freeze international travel, extinguish economic activity and confine half of humanity to their homes, infecting more than a million people and counting, including an Iranian vice-president, the actor Idris Elba, and the British prime minister. By the middle of April, more than 75,000 would be dead.

• 100 Days that Changed the World

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April 9

COVID-19 death toll topped 16,600 in the United States.

  As pandemic deepens, Trump cycles through targets to blame

  The first confirmed coronavirus case in New York was a woman who flew into JFK in February and tested positive March 1. The next day, Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio promised investigators would track down every person on her flight. … No one ever did.

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April 10

COVID-19 death toll topped 18,700 in the United States.

For the first time, singe-day deaths in the U.S. surpassed 2,000. Worldwise, the death toll is more than 100,000.

  White House pushed FEMA to give its biggest coronavirus contract to a company that never had to bid

  France reports heart incidents linked to hydroxychloroquine

  White House braces for congressional probes of coronavirus response

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April 11

COVID-19 death toll topped 20,500 in the United States.

  20,000: US death toll overtakes Italy’s as Midwest braces

  Behind closed doors, Trump’s coronavirus task force boosts industry and sows confusion

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April 12

COVID-19 death toll topped 22,000 in the United States.

  New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy cautioned against a swift reopening of the economy, saying an economic reboot that comes before the virus is under control could be like “throwing gasoline on the fire.”

  The preëxisting condition in the Oval Office

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April 13

COVID-19 death toll topped 23,500 in the United States.

  A month after emergency declaration, Trump’s promises largely unfulfilled

  Trump rages at criticism while governors craft their own plans to reopen the economy

The Tenth Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
  Interactive Constitution

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April 14

COVID-19 death toll topped 28,500 in the United States.

U.S. reached its highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day: 2,405.

While officials continue to tout robust testing, only 3,258,424 tests have been administered in the U.S. – covering 0.99% of the population.

For additional context, see April 20 …

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April 15

COVID-19 death toll topped 32,400 in the United States.

  White House snubs Azar, installs Trump loyalist Michael Caputo as HHS spokesperson

  Trump administration officials warned against halting funding to WHO, leaked memo shows

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April 16

COVID-19 death toll topped 34,500 in the United States.

  “You’re gonna call your own shots,” Trump tells governors about guidelines to reopen states

  More than 100 residents have COVID-19 at N.J. nursing home where 17 bodies were found

United States intelligence agencies alerted Israel to the coronavirus outbreak in China already in November, Israeli television reported Thursday. The U.S. intelligence community became aware of the emerging disease in Wuhan in the second week of that month and drew up a classified document. U.S. intelligence informed the Trump administration, “which did not deem it of interest,” but the report said the Americans also decided to update two allies with the classified document: NATO and Israel, specifically the IDF.

  Report: U.S. alerted Israel, NATO to disease outbreak in China in November

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April 17

COVID-19 death toll topped 37,000 in the United States.

  Scientists have strong evidence coronavirus originated naturally

Spurring citizens to … do something, Trump tweeted:

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April 18

COVID-19 death toll topped 39,000 in the United States.

  Trump again relies on both shock and strategic retreat

  As millions of Americans begin their second month under lockdown, President Trump is rewriting the history of his coronavirus response. In doing so, he is giving the public an inaccurate and cherry-picked retelling of what he did in the pivotal early months.

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April 19

COVID-19 death toll topped 40,500 in the United States.

  Fact check: Trump takes no break from repeating false virus claims

  Governors cry foul on Trump testing claims

  Dr. Birx emphasizes “community by community” approach to coronavirus testing

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April 20

COVID-19 death toll topped 42,500 in the United States.

  Trump doubles down on coronavirus testing capabilities

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By The Numbers

  The impacts of the novel coronavirus are wide-ranging and relentless: Hospitals are overtaxed. Unemployment has soared. Daily life is on an indefinite pause.

Comprehending the toll the coronavirus has taken is complicated. Its spread may not end for weeks or months more.
The following numbers may help you make sense of it. Here are the ways – in dollars, percentages, and lives – that coronavirus has knocked the world off its axis.

• Impact of the coronavirus pandemic

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April 21

COVID-19 death toll topped 45,300 in the United States.

  NIH panel recommends against drug combination promoted by Trump for COVID-19

  They only pretend to believe these things on television for money.” – John Oliver

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April 22

COVID-19 death toll topped 47,500 in the United States.

  Trump says he ‘strongly’ disagreed with move to reopen Georgia – contradicting source who said he agreed with it

  It won’t be coming back in the fall, though, that it was. It will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain. The doctor was saying, and I spoke to him at great length, he was saying should it come back together, now you have the flu and the embers of corona. And in my opinion, from everything we’ve seen, everything we’ve witnessed. What we’ve we will not go through. Just gone through, we will not go through – embers of corona, and you could have some a big flu – you could have, they could combine, if system. and if they come together – it’s not great. But we will not go through what we went through for the last two months.” – Trump during the daily coronavirus update.

  Trump claimed Robert Redfield was ‘totally misquoted, but Redfield said he was quoted accurately

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April 23

COVID-19 death toll topped 49,800 in the United States.

  Coronavirus spread ‘under the radar’ in US major cities since January, researchers say

  Why these scientists still doubt the coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab

  FDA commissioner weighs in on Trump’s disinfectant claim

  Trump chloroquine push came after talk with donor, source says

  Meet the security chief making a cowboy museum’s social media feeds extra delightful

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April 24

COVID-19 death toll topped 52,000 in the United States.

  FDA cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to risk of heart rhythm problems

  Lysol maker: Please don’t drink our cleaning products

  White House issues revised transcript to show Birx said sunlight not a treatment for coronavirus

  OK, folks – end of the timeline. The train is off the rails, the car is in the ditch … apply whichever analogy is appropriate. There is sufficient evidence Trump and others in the administration failed to take necessary precautions to protect U.S. citizens in favor of keeping the economy chugging along. … Remember to vote Nov. 3.